Chris Copeland
Chris Copeland | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christopher Stephen Copeland March 17, 1984 Orange, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Professional basketball player, coach |
| Years active | 2006–2018 (player), 2023–present (coach) |
| Known for | Professional basketball career in NBA and overseas; assistant coach for Wisconsin Herd |
Christopher Stephen Copeland (born March 17, 1984), known by the moniker "The X-Factor," is a retired American professional basketball athlete. He competed at the collegiate level for the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Early life
Copeland entered the world in Orange, New Jersey in 1984, raised by his mother Terry without his father’s presence. His older brother, Vincent Alphaquan, who excelled at basketball during his time at Seton Hall Prep and Jackson State, served as a role model. Starting at age four, Vincent guided Copeland through various dribbling exercises and practice sessions. Tragically, in May 1997, Vincent lost his life in a hit-and-run incident just a few blocks away from their residence.
At 15 years old in August 1999, Copeland relocated with his mother to Richmond, Virginia, where he enrolled at Hermitage High School. Standing already 6-foot-6, he quickly became a standout figure in the school’s basketball program. To facilitate this move, his mother left her job in Newark to provide full support. During his senior year in 2001–02, he posted averages of 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game, earning MVP accolades along with several regional awards. Copeland played a key role in leading Hermitage to consecutive Colonial District Championships during both his junior and senior seasons.
College career
In his initial year at Colorado, Copeland contributed as a reserve player, averaging 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds across 7.7 minutes per game over the course of 26 contests.
During his sophomore campaign, he appeared in 27 out of 28 games, increasing his averages to 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds while playing approximately 9.2 minutes per contest. Notably, he scored a season-best 12 points against Iowa State.
Copeland’s junior year saw significant improvement as he earned Big 12 All-Improved team recognition after more than tripling his scoring output to an average of 11.7 points per game. He started in half of the 29 games that season and averaged 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks while playing around 25.2 minutes each game.
In his final collegiate season, Copeland was instrumental in guiding Colorado to a 20–10 record and an NIT appearance. He started in 28 of the team’s 30 outings and averaged 12.1 points, along with contributions of 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game over roughly 24.3 minutes on the floor. His highest scoring performance that year was a 22-point effort against Kansas.
College statistics
|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2002–03 | style="text-align:left;"| Colorado | 26 || 0 || 7.7 || .377 || .250 || .577 || 1.6 || .3 || .1 || .3 || 2.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2003–04 | style="text-align:left;"| Colorado | 28 || 0 || 9.2 || .379 || .393 || .594 || 2.5 || .5 || .3 || .5 || 2.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2004–05 | style="text-align:left;"| Colorado | 29 || 15 || 25.2 || .448 || .375 || .814 || 5.6 || 1.5 || .3 || 1.2 || 11.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2005–06 | style="text-align:left;"| Colorado | 30 || 28 || 24.3 || .440 || .357 || .688 || 5.1 || 1.6 || .8 || 1.1 || 12.1 |-
Fort Worth Flyers (2006–2007)
After going unselected in the 2006 NBA draft, Copeland signed with the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA Development League on March 29, 2007.[1] He participated in the remaining portion of the season across twenty games for the Flyers.
CB L'Hospitalet (2007)
On September 20, 2007, Copeland inked a contract with CB L'Hospitalet in Spain for the 2007–08 campaign.
Matrixx Magixx (2007–2008)
By October 2007, Copeland departed from L'Hospitalet and signed with the Dutch team Matrixx Magixx to complete the remainder of the 2007–08 season.
TBB Trier (2008–2010)
During the summer of 2008, Copeland agreed to terms with Germany's TBB Trier for the 2008–09 season and renewed his contract in June 2009 for the following 2009–10 season. Across two seasons, he appeared in 67 games, averaging 13.2 points per game in 2008–09 and increasing to 16.9 points per game in 2009–10.
Okapi Aalstar (2010–2012)
In July 2010, Copeland committed to Okapi Aalstar in Belgium for the 2010–11 season and extended his stay by signing a two-year contract extension in April 2011. He concluded his tenure after the 2011–12 season having secured both the Belgian League MVP and Star of the Coaches awards.
New York Knicks (2012–2013)
Copeland signed a one-year contract with the New York Knicks on July 16, 2012, after averaging 13.8 points across five games during the 2012 NBA Summer League. He made his NBA debut on November 2, 2012, facing off against the Miami Heat.
In December 2012, he was briefly assigned to the NBA Development League's Erie BayHawks, though he did not participate in any contests before being recalled.
On April 17, 2013, Copeland achieved a career-best scoring output with 33 points during the Knicks' final regular-season matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. His performance earned him the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month accolade for April. Throughout the 2012–13 NBA season, he averaged 8.7 points per game and finished tied for sixth place in NBA Rookie of the Year voting.
The Knicks extended a qualifying offer on June 25, 2013, designating Copeland as a restricted free agent.
Indiana Pacers (2013–2015)
On July 10, 2013, Copeland agreed to a two-year, $6.1 million offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers after New York chose not to match it. His production dropped considerably compared to his rookie year with the Knicks, as he averaged only 3.7 points and logged an average of 6.5 minutes over 41 games behind starters such as Paul George, Danny Granger, and Evan Turner.
On November 5, 2014, Copeland recorded a season-high of 19 points along with a personal best of 12 rebounds during a close overtime defeat to the Washington Wizards.
Milwaukee Bucks (2015–2016)
Copeland signed with the Milwaukee Bucks on July 29, 2015. He made his debut on October 28, contributing eight points and two rebounds in a loss against his former team, the New York Knicks. The Bucks waived him on February 22, 2016. Shortly thereafter, he was claimed off waivers by the Orlando Magic, who immediately released him for salary cap considerations.
On September 22, 2016, Copeland signed with the New Orleans Pelicans, but was waived on October 3 without appearing in any games. This marked the conclusion of his NBA career; he subsequently continued playing professionally overseas. His final NBA appearance occurred on February 2, 2016, versus the Portland Trail Blazers, where he played under three minutes and recorded only one foul.
Tofaş (2016–2017)
On December 5, 2016, Copeland inked a deal with the Turkish outfit Tofaş to complete the 2016–17 BSL season. Across 21 appearances, he posted averages of 9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, playing a role in securing the team's spot in the playoffs.
Andorra (2017–2018)
Copeland signed with Andorra on November 3, 2017, under a contract extending until February 2018, stepping in for the sidelined forward Beka Burjanadze. He took part in six matches before mutually ending his tenure with the club on January 29, 2018.
Coaching career
On October 5, 2023, Copeland was named assistant coach for the Wisconsin Herd, a team competing in the NBA G League.
Regular season
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 56 || 13 || 15.4 || .479 || .421 || .759 || 2.1 || .5 || .3 || .2 || 8.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana | 41 || 0 || 6.5 || .470 || .418 || .714 || .8 || .4 || .1 || .2 || 3.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana | 50 || 12 || 16.6 || .361 || .311 || .733 || 2.2 || 1.0 || .2 || .2 || 6.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 24 || 1 || 6.5 || .333 || .278 || .857 || .4 || .5 || .1 || .0 || 2.1 |- |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 171 || 26 || 12.3 || .427 || .365 || .752 || 1.6 || .6 || .2 || .2 || 5.8
Playoffs
|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2013 | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 9 || 1 || 10.3 || .400 || .478 || 1.000|| 1.0|| .1|| .6|| .0|| 4.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2014 | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana | 12||0||6.8||.429||.375||.667||.4||.1||.3||.3||3.0 |- | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 21||1||8.3||.414||.436||.727||.7||.1||.4||.1||3.5
Personal life
On April 8, 2015, Copeland suffered a stabbing injury to his abdomen outside a nightclub in New York City; his former partner Katrine also sustained cuts to her arm and leg during the incident. Atlanta Hawks players Pero Antić and Thabo Sefolosha were detained at the scene for obstructing law enforcement efforts. Copeland was admitted to Bellevue Hospital and reported to be in stable condition.
External links
- ↑ NBA Development League: Transactions